NFC

Apple’s 2024 agreement to open iPhone NFC access to third-party wallet developers shifted coverage from payments adoption to platform-control scrutiny.

Who they are

NFC appears in the coverage as the contactless technology underpinning mobile payments, wallet apps, transit payments and hardware authentication. Its stories are chiefly about how Apple governs iPhone access to the technology, while Android and device launches frame NFC as a competing handset capability.

The recent arc

Coverage reached its recent high in 2024Q3 after a regulatory-driven shift that began in 2024Q1. The U.S. DOJ’s March suit alleged that Apple blocked competitors from iPhone features, while the EU settlement reported in July required Apple to open NFC access on iOS to third-party wallet developers for a decade; Apple then said iOS 18.1 would let developers conduct NFC transactions through the Secure Element outside Apple Pay and Wallet, with associated fees.

The subsequent stories moved from remedy to implementation and geographic follow-through. Vipps launched an Apple Pay alternative on iOS in Norway after the opening, Switzerland began examining Apple’s third-party NFC terms in late 2025, and the UK CMA proposed in June 2026 that Apple open NFC while also pressing Apple and Google on payment steering. Separately, Nothing’s CMF Phone 1 was criticized for lacking NFC, while the CMF Phone 2 Pro included it, showing that baseline device support remains part of the coverage.

The tension

The central tension is whether NFC on the iPhone remains an Apple Pay-controlled gateway or becomes infrastructure that independent wallets can use. Apple’s commitments to the EU, the DOJ’s allegations, and the UK CMA and Swiss scrutiny all focus on the terms of access, while Google’s statement that it had already changed steering practices highlights the broader competitive pressure around mobile payments rather than NFC hardware alone.

Why it matters

If access commitments translate into workable technical and commercial terms, NFC could support more wallet and transit-payment choices on iOS, as Vipps’ launch suggests. But ongoing scrutiny of Apple’s terms and fees means the practical openness of the platform remains unsettled; the next phase of coverage is likely to hinge on whether regulators and third-party developers view those terms as sufficient.

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